Providing mental health services to remote and
rural locations can be challenging. Issues such as social
visibility, stigmatisation and attitudes towards help-seeking
within rural communities may affect the recognition
and treatment of mental health problems.

Factors such as staffing,
transport and cost can also significantly affect the
quality of service provision. In addition, there may be specific
professional issues that arise for psychiatrists working in rural
areas.

This module uses a series of interactive
exercises and case scenarios to illustrate the challenges
of providing rural mental health services, while pointing
toward some solutions. Many of the lessons that are
learnt can be directly extended to clinical practice in both rural
and urban areas.